Senegalese President Names New Government Amid Rift with Former Ally

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has announced a new government featuring several members and allies of Ousmane Sonko, who was recently ousted as prime minister. The announcement was made during a live television broadcast on Monday, less than two weeks after Faye fired Sonko due to disagreements over the country’s economic situation.

Sonko, who is still the leader of Pastef, the party he founded in 2014 and which controls 130 of the 165 seats in Senegal’s legislative body, has stated that his party will not participate in the new government. This decision was made after a “long conversation” with Faye, during which points of agreement were confirmed but also significant points of disagreement.

Faye named Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo as prime minister on Monday, citing his expertise in steering Senegal out of its crippling debt. The new cabinet includes several Pastef members, but notable for the absence of some senior figures who had been part of the previous government.

Sonko met with Faye on Monday and stated that “points of disagreement” emerged regarding the future role of Pastef in the new government. As a result, Pastef will not be represented by any ministers. Sonko also expressed his wish for the new team to succeed.

Faye appointed Sonko as prime minister in April 2024, just days after being elected president. However, due to a defamation conviction, Sonko was barred from running for the top job. Despite this, he gained significant support among young Senegalese with his pan-Africanist rhetoric and had been involved in a power struggle with former President Macky Sall.

The tensions between Faye and Sonko began to surface in July when Sonko accused Faye of a “failure of leadership”. The president later responded by saying that the party needed to be “depersonalised” from any leader dominating it.

Source: Al Jazeera